What Successful People Do With the First Hour of Their Day

They say the way you spend New Year’s Eve is the way you’ll spend the rest of your year. Could it be that the same is true for every day? That the way you spend the first hour of your day might actually determine how successfully you move through the rest of your day? Fast Company shouts a resounding YES! They’ve compiled advice from gurus from Tony Robbins to Craigslist CEO Craig Newmark in the article “What Successful People Do With the First Hour of Their Day.“

They recommend a host of suggestions from not checking your email to practicing an hour of gratitude and self affirmations. My favorite tip, though, comes from the book “Eat That Frog.” Your “frog” is that thing you just don’t want to tackle today. Fast Company tells us to:

Choose Your Frog

“Choose your frog, and write it down on a piece of paper that you’ll see when you arrive back at your desk in the morning, Tripani advises.“If you can, gather together the material you’ll need to get it done and have that out, too.”

One benefit to tackling that terrible, weighty thing you don’t want to do first thing in the morning is that you get some space from the other people involved in that thing–the people who often make the thing more complicated and frustrating. Without their literal or figurative eyes over your shoulder, the terrible thing often feels less complex, and you can get more done.

How do you start your day? Could you be more effective with that first 60 minutes of waking time?

About the Author

Marcy Twete

Marcy Twete is a career fundraiser turned corporate responsibility executive, a career and networking expert and the author of the book "You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works."